ASABE Announces Winner of Hancor Soil & Engineering Award

Saied Mostaghimi, Virginia Tech professor and head of the biological systems engineering department, has been named the winner of the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) 2008 Hancor Soil and Water Engineering Award. Sponsored by Hancor, it recognizes Professor Mostaghimi’s research programs in developing strategies and tools for assessing the impact of agriculture and urban activities on water quality and developing and validating computer simulation models for use by agencies involved in water resources and land-use planning. The methodology he developed for data collection at the watershed scale, the citation states, has been widely adopted by researchers and practitioners in the U.S. and throughout the world.

“Hancor has always been very proud of our involvement with the ASABE and of our sponsorship of this award,” said Tori Durliat, Hancor director of marketing. “Professor Mostaghimi is widely known for his research, outreach and educational programs in hydrology and in particular soil erosion and nonpoint source pollution assessment and control. It is truly a pleasure and an honor to acknowledge Professor Mostaghimi for his exacting work in this field and for his lifelong commitment to examining and improving water quality.”

Called one of its most prestigious awards by the Society, the Hancor Soil and Water Engineering Award recognizes noteworthy contributions to the advancement of soil and water engineering in teaching, research, planning, design construction, management or materials development.

Mostaghimi is a 27-year member of ASABE and was elected a Fellow of the Society in 2006. Hancor, one of the world’s largest suppliers of storm water management systems, has sponsored the ASABE award since 1966. It was presented to him on July 2, 2008 at the ASABE Annual International meeting.